Recommendation 6

The BBC has not fully grasped the significance of the other bodies and communities it needs to work with effectively and which are crucial to the success of Across the UK. As part of Across the UK, the BBC has established partnerships with local authorities, combined authorities and local industry bodies. The BBC highlighted the value of local partners to the delivery of Across the UK and the work it does, but its evidence is contradictory. The BBC said it wanted partners to bring in investment but also insisted it could deliver Across the UK without them. It also claimed its plans are unaffected by the cancellation of the planned HS2 train line between Birmingham and Manchester. Several local authorities are close to declaring themselves bankrupt and may have to withdraw some local services, yet the BBC did not understood the full impact of these financial pressures and lacked contingency plans if local partners have to pull out. Furthermore, although Across the UK is designed to change the culture of the BBC and will have a significant impact on many staff, the BBC did not collect data on what its staff think about the programme. Recommendation 6: As part of its response to this report, the BBC should set out: • how it will identify and monitor the impact of any sudden or unexpected changes to commitments from its external partners, and what contingency plans it has for such uncertainties. • how it will engage more fully with its staff to understand and take account of their views to make its implementation of Across the UK a success. 8 The BBC’s implementation of Across the UK 1 The intended benefits of Across the UK